How progressive of the US military to use yoga as a treatment for soldiers returning from Iraq with post-traumatic stress disorder. As reported in the May 6 Washington Post, the Specialized Care Program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center focuses on helping service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan cope with the flashbacks and nightmares typical of post-traumatic stress disorder, which affects 20 percent of the approximately 1.6 million U.S. military personnel who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to a Rand study released last month. The program uses a guided meditation technique called yoga nidra, which I know from personal experience to create a profound state of relaxation.

I am a yoga teacher researching the ways that Yoga and meditation can be useful in the military and to veterans. If you have had a personal experience with Yoga and its effects on PTSD, I would love to hear from you. Ultimately, I hope to have a class that could benefit the armed forces. Thank you for your thoughts!